The present invention relates to liquid cleaning compositions.
Liquid cleaning compositions are used more widely than non-liquid cleaning compositions, such as granules, pastes, gels, and mulls. Consumers favor liquid cleaning compositions for convenience and appearance. Liquid cleaning compositions are easily measurable, readily dissolvable in water, and are capable of being applied to heavily stained areas in concentrated solution for pre-treatment. Furthermore, a clear or opaque liquid with a particular color is aesthetically appealing to consumers. In addition, liquid cleaning compositions can incorporate many performance enhancing ingredients that cannot withstand dry operation while eliminating certain environmentally hazardous ingredients, such as phosphate builder.
However, conventional liquid cleaning compositions contain undesirably large percentages of water, which increase the cost of packaging and shipping due to more energy use and handling efforts. Furthermore, the conventional liquid cleaning compositions have mediocre or poor performance in cold or warm water or without agitation. Heat and agitation during cleaning not only consumes more energy, but also increases wear and damage to substrates, especially fabric.
Commercial shipping can often expose a product to temperatures well below freezing (0° C.). Additionally consumers often place products in unheated carrying compartments (e.g., car trunks), window sills and garages. In any of these scenarios, the product may encounter conditions sufficient to freeze the product or create slush therein. This exposure to low temperatures can result in a difficult to dispense (e.g., pour, squirt, pump, spray, etc.) product and possibly long-term performance issues like phase stability or appearance issues.
Concentrated cleaners with high solids content are especially prone to these low temperature concerns. The ability to lower the slush and freezing point with minor amounts of additive would be a key advantage for many concentrated cleaning, fabric and other liquid or paste type consumer goods. However, present solutions fail to address these concerns.
Thus, there is a strong need for a liquid cleaning composition that is effective even though packaged in a concentrated form. There is also a strong and unmet need for such a liquid composition that has a lower slush and/or freezing point. Moreover, there is also a need for a liquid composition that is more environmentally friendly.